Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

14. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of persons whose hours vary and who cannot claim jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5389/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2016 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €2.8 billion.

It is a fundamental qualifying condition of both schemes that a person must be fully unemployed for four days in any period of seven consecutive days. A person working four or more days a week will not qualify for a jobseeker’s payment, even if they work only a small number of hours on those days.

In addition, to the jobseeker schemes the Department provides in-work supports to families in employment through the Family Income Supplement. Under this scheme an individual who is working a minimum of 19 hours per week and their average weekly family income is below a certain amount for their family size can receive a weekly supplement from the Department.

It is recognised that a changing labour market has resulted in a move away from more traditional work patterns, resulting in an increase in the number of persons employed for less than a full week.

Any changes to the current jobseeker criteria, such as moving to an hours based system, could result in significant numbers of individuals becoming eligible for a jobseeker’s payment with substantial corresponding cost implications for the Exchequer.